Savior of the Shadows

Chapter 4: -𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐-

     
        𝓐ʟʟ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ the day, Charlie seemed off, both in his personality and his actions. He was irritable and fidgety, unable to sit still. Genny noticed the changes too. We tried talking to him during lunch break, but he completely shut down the idea of being unwell. We both knew he was far from fine, and deep down, he did too, but I hadn't the first notion of how to fix him.

        Following lunch, I didn't see him until the whole school gathered for an afternoon pep rally. We always had them before a big game, though they were really just for the cheerleaders and athletic seniors to flaunt their popularity. I couldn't care less about the pep rallies, but they were required, and Genny liked going to them, so I suffered through.

Today, however, I was nervous for the assembly. After Charlie stormed out of the infirmary, it gave me time to think. Before he started acting peculiar, the comment Charlie made about grabbing silver objects gave me an idea. If my theory was correct, and the Shadows' leader did not vanish into thin air but instead passed into Charlie somehow, I could prove it.

The rally was nearing its end. That was when I got brave enough to initiate my plan, though I had forebodings about the outcome. When Charlie wasn't looking, I took off the necklace my mother gifted me long ago, placing it discretely in my palm face down. As the assembly ended and everyone began filing out of the stands, so did we. I saw Annika up somewhere with her friends in the elementary grade seating. Charlie descended the stairs first, then me, and finally Genny. I knew Charlie was still mostly in control; there was just a beast lurking within him, waiting to escape. I counted on that. Charlie was innately courteous. Every morning when we walked to school, he always assisted us if there was a large step down from a staircase or curb. Today was no different. At the end of the bleachers, there was a jump to get off. He went first, then instinctually grabbed my hand to lead me down too. But as soon as he did, sizzling sounded from his skin, and he released my hand with a yelp.

"What was that?" he asked, not in shock but fury. It was an expression I had never seen on his face before and one I hoped never to see again. It didn't suit him.

I let the necklace unravel from my palm. It swung side to side. "My necklace, which has a silver chain."

He quickly went from outrage to understanding. Another cold expression masked his features, making him look like a whole different person. "Clever girl." He smiled unkindly. "But tell me. Will you still be so clever when I have taken all your friends and harvested their souls from within them to add to my collection?"

I hadn't updated Genny on my suspicion yet. Genny whimpered in horror behind me. "Why are you saying those awful things, Charlie?"

"Because he isn't Charlie," I said grimly.

"What?" Genny said before going through the events of this morning in her head again and understanding what I meant. "Oh, Charlie. No," she wept.

He took a step closer, peering down at me threateningly, and exhaled deeply before impersonating Charlie. "Irina, about that kiss this morning. That was a mistake. You are just a lonely, broken girl with no father and a dying mother. I would never want you."

"Stop," I whimpered. It's not Charlie. It's not Charlie. It's not Charlie. I repeated the words in my head, but it didn't help. Each remark felt like a blade piercing through my heart.

"You don't fit in with the rest of society, and you never will. Stop trying to be brave, Irina. You are weak. Helpless. Insignificant."

You are strong, Irina, a memory of Charlie's voice echoed in my mind.